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Glossary of Terms

Petroleum

The Energy Impact Score shows the number of barrels of petroleum a vehicle will likely consume each year from domestic sources (represented by green barrels) and imports (represented by yellow barrels). Forty-two gallons of petroleum are contained in every barrel. (Source: US Department of Energy.)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This measure shows a vehicle's impact on climate change in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide (CO2), it emits. Automobiles account for more than half of the CO2 emissions from a typical household. These estimates include CO2, methane, and oxides of nitrogen emitted from all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. Vehicle manufacture is excluded. (Source: US Department of Energy.)

MSRP

Lowest price of a new base-level model.

Estimated Fuel Cost

Costs based on 15,000 annual miles, with fuel selling at $3.50/gallon for regular unleaded gasoline; $3.80 for diesel; $.10/kWh for electricity; and $2.09 per gasoline-equivalent gallon of CNG. The mix of driving is 55% in the city and 45% on the highway. (Source: US Department of Energy.)

Efficiency (MPG or MPGe)

Miles-per-gallon is a well-understood metric, but in the world of alternative fuels, the stuff that powers your car can take the form of electricity or gaseous material. These aren’t measures in gallons, and therefore the Environmental Protection Agency assigns an MPGe, or miles-per-gallon equivalent—determining the amount energy used if it were in gallons. It’s not a perfect measurement, but allows the best possible apples-to-apples comparison of different fuel sources. (Source: US Environmental Protection Agency.)

Driving Range

The range number tells you the typical number of miles a car can be driven between refueling events. In other words, range indicates how much energy can be stored on a vehicle—whatever form that energy takes. This becomes an important issue for pure electric cars that typically have a shorter driving range than most gas-powered cars—and for other alternatives that can be harder to find.

0-60 Performance

Auto manufacturers usually publish numbers indicating how fast a car accelerates. The acceleration is measured by the number of seconds it takes to travel from a standstill to 60 miles per hour. The number can be misleading, because sometimes cars are very fast from 0 – 30 mph, and not as fast all the way to 60 mph.

DescriptionConsumptionEmissionsCostsPerformanceFuel Availability

ElectricSee all Electric VehiclesAn all-electric car is powered only by an electric motor that receives electricity by plugging into the grid. These cars consume no gasoline and produce no tailpipe emissions. However, the level of overall emissions depends on the amount of coal used to make electricity.

The public EV charging infrastructure is growing rapidly, with more than 10,000 locations in the U.S. Nearly all charging takes place at home.Find EV charging stations

HybridSee all Hybrid VehiclesA hybrid electric car combines an internal combustion engine with batteries and an electric motor to provide high fuel economy. Hybrids automatically switch between gas and electric to maximize efficiency. Batteries are charged by the engine and during regenerative braking.

Hybrids refuel at the same gas stations familiar to all motorists. Conventional hybrids don't need to be plugged in.

DieselSee all Diesel VehiclesA diesel engine does not use a conventional spark plug to ignite the fuel like gasoline. It uses the heat of compression to ignite the fuel to begin the combustion process. Diesel combustion is a more efficient process than spark ignited combustion, so diesel vehicles produce more miles per gallon than their gasoline counterparts.

The vast majority of gas stations have at least one pump dedicated to diesel fuel. Diesel drivers quickly learn to avoid local stations not offering diesel.

High MPGSee all High MPG VehiclesInnovative internal combustion strategies like direct injection, turbocharging and better aerodynamics help yield more miles from a gallon of gas. The proof is in the pudding: What's your MPG?

Conventional gas stations are ubiquitous in the American landscape. There are approximately 160,000 gas stations in the United States.

Compressed Natural GasSee all CNG VehiclesCompressed natural gas is cleaner and less expensive than gasoline, and generally comes from domestic sources. When considering the purchase of a CNG vehicle, owners should first determine whether convenient and reliable CNG fueling is available.

Compared to ever present regular gas stations, there are only about 1,000 locations offering compressed natural gas. California has more than 200, but other states only have a handful. CNG drivers must remain aware of their range and distance from a CNG station and/or be willing to install home refueling.Find CNG refueling stations

EthanolSee all Ethanol VehiclesMore than 95% of gasoline is blended with low-levels of domestically produced ethanol. Ethanol is currently produced from corn with future plans to manufacture it from cellulosic materials—crop wastes, grasses, etc.—once technology is commercial. When comparing E85 and gasoline, all regulated emissions either decrease or show no significant difference. See how it works

There are more than 2,500 E85 fueling stations—not a high number—in the United States. Many are located in the Midwest, while it's quite difficult to find an e85 station in many other regions. For example, there are fewer than 100 E85 locations in the state of California.Find Ethanol Fueling Stations